A navigation device to control the distribution of medicines
Published: Thursday, Jan 18th 2024, 10:30
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Supply bottlenecks for medicines could be delayed and mitigated through better coordination. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at ETH Zurich using a new model that measures in real time how adaptable and resilient a distribution system is.
The model presented in the journal "Science Advances" could also help supervisory authorities in Europe to better monitor the supply chains of medicines that are in high demand, according to a press release issued by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) on Thursday.
Even if several wholesalers are affected by a supply bottleneck for a particular drug, there are usually still enough drugs available in the overall drug distribution system, according to the university.
Like a navigation device
The ETH model can therefore show how unused stocks of a scarce medicine can be distributed most efficiently. In the drug supply chain, manufacturers and end users such as pharmacies and hospitals are usually connected via several wholesalers that store their stocks in distribution centers. According to the researchers, it would be possible to redirect medicines via these hubs - similar to a navigation model that shows detour routes in the event of a traffic jam.
"In this way, supply bottlenecks can be combated without necessarily having to produce more immediately," study leader Frank Schweitzer was quoted as saying in the ETH Zurich press release.
In order to develop their model, the researchers examined the entire distribution system for opiates in the USA between 2006 and 2014, as explained by ETH Zurich. The logistics data required for this came from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and was published as part of a court case against the drug manufacturer Purdue Pharma. The data contains over 40 billion distribution routes between manufacturers, distributors and end users.
©Keystone/SDA
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